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Monday 11 May 2020

Jimmy Wright - Let's Go Crazy Crazy Baby





















Side 1:
01) Let's Go Crazy Crazy Baby
02) Jimmy's Boogie
03) Sailin' Low
04) I'm In The Mood To Be Loved
05) Huggy Jump
06) Blow Jimmy Blow
07) Up And Over The Hill

Side 2:
01) Scotch Mist
02) Sad Strings
03) Porkey Pine
04) Huggy Hop
05) Pig Pen
06) Slow Down Baby
07) Shufflin'
08) Boogie Tonight




In response to a re-up request, here's an (almost) all new presentation of the Jimmy Wright Saxophonograph LP "Let's Go Crazy Crazy Baby." I originally posted this back in November 2008 but both the Be Bop Wino blog and myself have come a long way since then, so this time round you get the complete artwork of the gatefold sleeve plus label shots. Back in 2008 I hadn't learned how to scan complete LP covers, so at long last here is the full monty.

I've also researched the background of the original issue of these sides and come up with additional info which I don't think is quite complete, so if anyone can add more details via the comments section or the blog email I would be very grateful.

Recently I've been digging the 1940s / 1950s West Coast scene as regards jazz, R&B and Rock 'n' Roll, so this re-up was an especially pleasurable task. The tale of white LA drummer Jimmy Wright, his cohort, guitarist Porkey Harris, and their integrated R&B groups is told in Ken Mills' fascinating sleevenotes based on interviews he conducted with Jimmy in the 1980s. Sadly Jimmy died after being involved in a truck crash in the early 1990s, just a few years after the issue of this LP in 1987.

So, my rocking chums, download the package and listen while luxuriating in tales of car clubs, John Dolphin, Hunter Hancock and Huggy Boy and that marvellous Los Angeles R&B / rock'n'roll scene of the 1950s.

 Original Issues:

01) Let's Go Crazy Crazy Baby - Cash 1001
02) Jimmy's Boogie - Cash 1001
03) Sailin' Low - John Dolphin recording, release details unknown
04) I'm In The Mood To Be Loved - Meteor 5011
05) Huggy Jump - Red Label J-444
06) Blow Jimmy Blow - Lucky 007
07) Up And Over The Hill - John Dolphin recording, release details unknown
08) Scotch Mist - Meteor 5007
09) Sad Strings - Octive 2301
10) Porkey Pine - Meteor 5007
11) Huggy Hop - Red Label J-444
12) Pig Pen - Crystalette 716
13) Slow Down Baby - Meteor 5011
14) Shufflin' - unissued demo
15) Boogie Tonight - Octive recording, release details unkown

In Detail:

Porkey Pine / Scotch Mist - Jimmy Wright And His Orchestra - Meteor 5007 - June 1953

Billboard 6th June 1953


She Rocks / Sad Strings - Jimmy Wrieght Rhythm Makers (Porky Silvers, Guitar) - Octive 2301 - 1953

I'm In The Mood To Be Loved / Slow Down Baby - Jimmy Wright & Orch. Vocal Merry Dee - Meteor 5011 - September 1953

The Cash Box 19th September 1953

Huggy Jump / Huggy Hop - Jimmy Wright and His Orchestra - Red Label J-444 - 1954

Fillmore Street Blues (Roland Mitchell and His Band) / Blow Jimmie Blow (Jimmie Wright and His Band) - Lucky 007 - 1954

Let's Go Crazy, Crazy Baby / Jimmy's Boogie - Jimmy Wright Orchestra - Cash 1001 - March 1955

 Billboard, 19th March 1955


Porkypine / Pig Pen - Porky Harris And His Fantabulous 5 - Crystalette 716 - April 1958

Note: Ace CDCHD 1215 "Toast Of The Coast" contains two unissued instrumentals , "Pot Holder" and "Hollywood Hop" credited to Porkey Harris & The Sophisti-Cats. These were due to be released on Cash around July 1955 but never were. A shame, because they are fine recordings.


Coming up next on Be Bop Wino, more from Marv.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please more about Jimmy Wright and his Orchestra.
Who's Merry Dee, this great singer on Meteor 5011
Thanks very much, Greatings Hanst from Holland.

boogiewoody said...

Hi Hanst

Thanks for commenting. I can find no other reference to Merry Dee other than the recordings on this LP

BW

Ethnoscelsi said...

Thank you very very much for this re-up!
And for your wonderful research and related material.
Absolutrely fantasti.
Great music, important history, and fun!

Chi-Town said...

Another fantastic post, BW. Thanks !

Chi-Town

Bob Mac said...

Big thanks for this one BW.

B.B. said...

So wonderful to have these PEERLESS album annotations. The more the merrier. The collectors and authors (Steve Propes, Jim Dawson, Dave Antrell [RIP], etc.) are ("were" in Dave A.'s case...) THE BEST at what they do.

I just found out about the recent passing of Young Jessie.

Jim D. has told me that there MAY be something upcoming about him in one of the UK "collector" type magazines. I am SURE there will. It's a crying shame that these FOUNDING FATHERS are given the short shrift here in the U.S. of A.

I mean, we did get our share of coverage on the passing of Mr. Penniman...

Jim D. has also just lost a good friend and fellow traveler, Ian Whitcomb.

As if we need MORE bad news in this day & age.

Anyhow, thanks again, B., for making these scholarly notes available!

By the way, what are your tricks & techniques for scanning these priceless LPs?

Super NICE job!!!

Cheers from Sunny So. Cal.!

boogiewoody said...

Sorry for the delayed reply, B.B. Young Jessie and Ian Whitcomb gone - that is indeed sad news.

The scanning of LP covers is a fraught business. Firstly, as an LP cover doesn't fit a conventional A4 scanner, I have to do four separate scans of sections of the cover then secondly I have to merge them into onecomplete image of the cover. For the initial 4 scans I use a free programme called Photofiltre, and for the merging or stitching into a complete cover I use a free Microsoft programme ICE (Image Composite Editor). That's the short version! There are lots of potential traps along the way, but I get by somehow. Imagine the amount of scanning for a gatefold sleeve LP!

BW

B.B. said...

Thanks for the tips, Bopper. I am familiar with "ICE" (No, not the "border patrol" version we have here...!). That is, "familiar" in that . . . I am sure I have it. some place. Probably got it after a BBW tip years ago. I've recently inherited a gently used but a bit old Canon scanner. Replaces one that I've had for at least two decades. It's amazing how tech makes such leaps, but, it has a button on it that let's even a dummy like me do a scan in one fell swoop. Even "crops" something like a CD cover in to its exact "size"! Not more futzing with that aspect in Photoshop or whatevs. The default seems to be 300 dpi, which is just fine for these old eyes. I will have to try it out (in conjunction with "ICE" --- no not in a cocktail!) on an Mr. R&B, Earth Angel, Route 66 or Juekbox Lil LP cover some time...

boogiewoody said...

Good luck, B.B. I'm beginning to wish I had a large format scanner as there is some very slight distortion in the 4 scan A4 method. They used to be very expensive but I haven't checked the prices lately.

BW

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this. Jimmy was my father. He gave up the band to have a family of five children with his wife Shirley. After retiring, he would set his drums up every Saturday night and play. He loved teaching us to play.